Entries with the tag: evgeni+malkin

Amazing Malkin

by Paul on 05/10/08 at 08:28 AM
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from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

Every night Gary Roberts watches, and every night he finds something else to be amazed by.

It isn’t just that Evgeni Malkin scores goals. It’s how he scores. And when he scores. And just about everything else in between.

“He is taking it to a whole new level,” the veteran Roberts said. “Both goals tonight came late in shifts. By then, most of us are dead tired. He’s on the ice a minute, a minute and a half into his shift and he finds the strength. I don’t think he’s human like the rest of us.

“And then he makes these plays ... I’ve never seen anything like him before.”

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You have to love the ‘shorty’ by Malkin last night= Watch below…

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Malkin Doesn’t Like Those Flyers

by Alanah on 05/08/08 at 09:36 AM
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From Shelly Anderson at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

After he had a goal and three assists in a 4-3 win Feb. 10 that broke a four-game losing streak to the Penguins’ cross-state rivals, Malkin said he didn’t like the Flyers, playing against them or playing in Wachovia Center, where, he said, fans pelt the Penguins’ bench with popcorn.

Despite gaining that insight on the rivalry, he wasn’t quite willing to repeat that with the playoff matchup looming.

“I don’t like anybody,” Malkin, 21, said in what would have been a snappier retort if it hadn’t had to be cycled through interpreter George Birman. “If I like them or not, we have to play them.”

more...

2008 Nominees for the Lester B. Pearson Award

by Alanah on 05/01/08 at 01:58 PM
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Update 2:42pm ET: Some comments from Eric Duhatschek at the Globe & Mail, who notes that hockey writers and players actually agreed on these selections. A rare event.

From the NHLPA Press Release:

TORONTO (May 1, 2008) – The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) announced today that Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames, Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals are finalists for the 2007-08 Lester B. Pearson Award. The Lester B. Pearson Award is presented annually to the “most outstanding player” in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA.

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Crosby & Malkin Lead Penguins

by Paul on 05/01/08 at 01:08 PM
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from George Vecsey of the NY Times,

Is this the next great dynasty? That is the only logical reaction after seeing the brilliance of Sidney Crosby, 20, and Evgeni Malkin, 21, in the same uniform or, good grief, on the same power-play unit.

This rave is not merely about hockey. This is about talent, the kind of chemical reaction that happens when two potent forces are mixed together. Martin and Lewis. Torvill and Dean. Nuclear fusion. Something that wasn’t there before.

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A Pair Of Aces

by Paul on 04/27/08 at 07:52 AM
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from Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

Crosby, already a celebrity in his native Canada in his early teens, began to hear that there was another special player in Russia besides gregarious Alex Ovechkin.

Malkin heard about Crosby through an agent.

The two got their first real glimpse of each other when Crosby and Team Canada beat Malkin and the Russian squad, 6-1, in the World Junior Championships Jan. 4, 2005, in Grand Forks, N.D.

“I could tell,” Crosby said of Malkin’s talent.

Little did Crosby and Malkin know that a little more than three years later they would make up perhaps the top dynamic duo in the NHL this season with a chance to join the top handful of such pairs of teammates since the league’s major expansion 41 years ago.

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Malkin In A Comfortable Position

by Paul on 04/12/08 at 08:20 AM
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from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,

Malkin set up the Penguins’ first three goals, two of them on the power play, to stake the hosts to a 3-0 lead. He also played a lead role killing penalties and was a physical force, using his big frame to flatten a couple of Senators, including tough winger Chris Neil.

“Yeah, one year’s experience is a big deal,” Malkin said through an interpreter, as his confidence in his English is not the same as his confidence in his playmaking skills. “I feel more comfortable.”

There are two reasons for this, he said. One is that this year he is playing his natural position, centre, rather than on the wing, which he did a year ago. The other is having Petr Sykora on his right wing. They played together for Magnitogorsk Metallurg in the Russian league in 2004-05 when Sykora signed on during the NHL lockout.

“This year I’m playing with Sykora, I feel more familiar with this guy,” Malkin said. “I feel much more comfortable this year than compared to last year.”

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Afternoon Line

by Paul on 04/02/08 at 12:38 PM
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from Japers’ Rink,

Add another vote to the “Ovechkin for MVP” campaign, this from rival Evgeni Malkin:

“I still have chances to become the MVP this season, however I am sure that Alexander Ovechkin is the best player in NHL this season and he will win this award.”

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Talking Hart

by Paul on 03/19/08 at 09:08 PM
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from Darren Dreger of TSN,

No Russian born player has ever won the Art Ross Trophy. Washington’s Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh’s Evgeny Malkin are poised to change that with the pair continuing to battle for the league lead in points.

However, the buzz around the NHL as the regular season winds down targets another major award; the Hart Memorial Trophy.

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Don’t Fall in Love With Players

by Alanah on 03/18/08 at 10:10 PM
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From John Buccigross at ESPN,

The Penguins have to at least consider and discuss trading Evgeni Malkin this summer if he is looking for an Alexander Ovechkin-type contract ($9-10 million per season. Term doesn’t matter. You always will be able to trade a great player if he is healthy), and the team concludes that paying a combined $17 million for two players on their roster will greatly affect their Stanley Cup plans.

NHL teams will have to look at things as NFL teams do. You won’t be able to fall in love with players, and you can’t talk about being a contender for 10 seasons. You have to look through smaller windows. Otherwise, you could have a very good season, then be mediocre for the next five. You have to keep looking forward, keep building.

more… odds and ends on Bucci’s mind

Evgeni Malkin Conference Call Transcript

by Alanah on 03/03/08 at 05:29 PM
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The NHL provided a media conference call with Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin today. To interpret for Evgeni, Sergei Gonchar joined in on the call. 

Earlier today, Evgeni was named First Star for the month of February after leading the league in scoring with 9 goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 14 games. He currently sits first in overall NHL scoring with 88 points on 37 goals and 51 assists.  The Penguins are tied atop the Eastern Conference standings with Montréal, each with 81 points.

Q. Evgeni, can you tell me if you’re seeing different players checking you than before when Sidney Crosby was playing in terms of like different defensemen against you and different centers playing against you?

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The Price Of Malkin

by Paul on 03/01/08 at 12:11 PM
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from Spector’s Blog at Fox Sports,

Malkin’s performance will likely merit him consideration for the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player. I still believe Alexander Ovechkin will win it, but Malkin’s performance means it’s no longer a sure thing.

It also puts pressure upon the Penguins management to lock up Malkin a year before he becomes a restricted free agent as they did with Crosby last summer, but like Crosby it’s gonna cost them, probably in the neighborhood of $8.5 million per season.

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Stars of the Week

by Alanah on 02/11/08 at 12:26 PM
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Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza, Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and Anaheim Ducks goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere have been named the NHL’s ‘Three Stars’ for the week ending February 10.

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Malkin Remains Hot

by Paul on 02/10/08 at 06:33 PM
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from Sports Ticker via the National Post,

Malkin scored a goal and registered three assists Sunday, recording his fifth consecutive multi-point game to lead the Penguins to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Last season’s Calder Trophy winner, Malkin has led Pittsburgh to a 6-2-2 record since January 18, when Crosby was hurt in a 3-0 loss to Tampa Bay.

“We’ve all seen him in practice everyday,” Penguins linemate Ryan Malone said. “We know what type of player he is. He will make all of those amazing plays you see. He’s a top-notch player.”

Malkin has eight goals and 13 assists in his last 10 games, while the Penguins (31-19-5) have catapulted into first place in the Atlantic for the first time this season.

more on the Pens win today against the Flyers…

Depending On Malkin

by Paul on 01/22/08 at 10:58 PM
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from Bob Duff at MSNBC,

If Malkin doesn’t get the job done, the NHL might as well pack up Lord Stanley’s mug and mothball the playoffs, because nobody other than hardcore hockey fanatics will be tuning in south of the border.

The loss of a marquee player at any time is a blow to the sport’s image. The Chicago Bulls were nothing without Michael Jordan, the Edmonton Oilers faded without Gretzky and both sport’s media presence suffered after their departures.

Crosby’s absence couldn’t have come at a worse time for the NHL.

read on…

If Crosby Is Gretzky, Malkin Is Messier

by Paul on 12/06/07 at 09:12 AM
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from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,

“I think he does fly under the radar,” said Penguins general manager Ray Shero. “Sid’s the one who has to do all the press conferences. Yeah, we’re pretty fortunate to have two guys like them.”

Malkin is a massive man, just like Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks. But he’s faster. He’s also a better shooter, but not as a silky smooth a set-up man as Jumbo Joe, but still very clever.

“Very creative. He could make plays in a phone booth,” said Penguins winger Gary Roberts.

“Gino (Malkin) doesn’t get as much attention as Sid,” said former Oilers forward Petr Sykora, his linemate. “But on any other team he’d be the guy.”

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Dependant On

by Paul on 11/14/07 at 09:16 AM
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from Empty Netters,

It seems like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are the only ones scoring points for the Penguins these days. That’s partially true. Through Monday’s games, Crosby and Malkin are the only players on the same team to each contribute at least 17 percent of their team’s offense. In other words, they probably could use some help from some other players:

read on for a chart of players who contribute the most to their team’s total offense…

Malkin Injury

by Alanah on 11/09/07 at 07:47 PM
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From TSN,

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin didn’t practise Friday because of an unspecified knee injury but said he expects to play Saturday night in Philadelphia.

Evgeni’s Year

by Alanah on 10/04/07 at 04:26 AM
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From the AP via the Tribune-Review,

There’s no hiding Evgeni Malkin any longer.

Malkin, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 21-year-old Russian star, was forced to sneak away from his homeland pro team and make his way clandestinely to the United States last year to play in the NHL.

Once he finally arrived in Pittsburgh, it was evident very quickly what the Penguins had: A young scorer who not only complemented league MVP Sidney Crosby but often made him better. Malkin had 33 goals and 52 assists for 85 points, one of the best seasons for a first-year player in NHL history.

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Malkin Adjusting On & Off The Ice

by Paul on 09/14/07 at 07:42 AM
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from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

He’s also aware of the grind of an NHL season after playing in 78 regular-season games, five playoff games, plus nine more games for the bronze-medal Russian squad at the world championships in May—far more games than he had been used to.

That perhaps begs the question of what a more relaxed and confident Malkin can do for an encore in 2007-08 after collecting 33 goals and 85 points to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year last season.

“I feel much stronger this season compared to last year. I think I’m in good shape,” said Malkin, 21, who was the second overall pick in the 2004 draft.

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